Wednesday, November 30, 2005

So I stumbled across a site for something called, get ready for this, The Screw Michigan Store. Now, I know Buckeye fans have a strong dislike for the Wolverines but, I kid you not, they have literally about 300 items, ALL just variations of "Screw Michigan" and even more with the always-classy "Fuck Michigan". And I mean these "slogans" are printed on everything, from t-shirts to journals to mugs to throw pillows to thongs (yes, thongs). But what I couldn't believe were the two items below... Are you kidding me?! An infant one-sy and a baby's bib!? Yes, nothing says class like a 5 month old sporting the word "Fuck" across his chest.

I hear in time for next year's M/Tosu game in Columbus, this fine store is going to sell a "Fuck Michigan" baby bottle so that proud Buckeye parents can fill it with beer and teach little Junior how to throw it at Michigan fans walking down High Street.

17 comments:

DBuck
said...

I think if you ask the majority of Buckeye fans, they would not even venture toward buying stuff like that. Even on Buckeye fan boards, the most hear phrase is "Michigan still sucks" And that's even done mostly in fun. Most decent fans have respect for Michigan even if they call it scUM. Just makes a rivalry more fun in most cases. But there's no excuse for that kind of profane junk. The same kind of folks who sell that kind of stuff call tOSU "Suckeyes" and worse. As always, the stupid and idiotic tends to grab attention more than the average joe.

It probably started with the song "We don't give a da** for the whole state of Michigan" and how Woody loathed the state up north in a healthy way, and folks have taken it and turned it out of control. Crazies need some sort of a cause, and trying to demean someone or something else is often what happens.

...i would also note that it's not a "store" per se. cafepress is a web-only, print-on-demand thing. get an idea and slap it on a shirt without actually making them...i've made over $2 on my store (by the way, want a "feed lindsay" t-shirt?)

There is no question that the rabid element among OSU fans has taken its cue and inspiration from Woody Hayes, who was magnetic enough to make absolute fruitbat crazy into a trend. Those who remember Woody have passed their attitude on to their kids, and the cycle will continue unless OSU gets another coach who is long-lived and memorable enough to engender his own cult of personality -- not likely these days. (Paterno, Bowden, Spurrier and Pete Carroll, who has such terrible bandwagon fans they probably are immune to the imprint of his personality, are the only current coaches who are that much larger-than-life. Oh, and Mark Mangino.)

Most programs with a similar coach in living memory seem to have emblazoned certain aspects of that coach's style on their fan culture. Penn State fans are argumentative and paranoid interspersed with charming and congenial. FSU fans are full of big talk, hedonistic, yet oddly grim and inert in the face of disappointment.

The other thing to remember about OSU is that so many students are in-state, so they grew up surrounded by the mania of their parents and of many other folks they knew. By comparison, Michigan fans are more geographically diverse.

Brain, I nominate you for M Zone POST OF THE DAY. All of the reasons you mention (Woody and the in-state nature of OSU students) are definitely strong explanations as to why so many of their fans would be interested in pruchasing these items. I also think that football is a bigger deal in Ohio than in Michigan. Look at the rabid follwing the Browns have. Also, high school football is HUGE there. If you doubt me, rent "Go Tigers!" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0270971/).I also think that since Tosu is the only game in town for college football, it leads to some of the "mob mentality" in Columbus. Ohio has over 11 million people and while they may be divided regarding the Browns and Bengals, or the Indians and Reds, they all cheer for the Buckeyes. Meanwhile, half the state of Michigan hate the Wolverines.

I like the idea of giving OSU fans the "fuck Michigan" bottles so that they may fill the bottles with beer to throw at Michigan fans - OR - the MICHIGAN FANS CAN KEEP THE BOTTLES for the next time Michigan has recruits on the sidelines in Ann Arbor while playing against Notre Dame. I laughed my ass of when I saw pics of Michigan recruits covering their heads while trying to avoid being hit in the head by bottles Michigan fans were throwing. And seeing how the Michigan fans were crying like babies, how ironic is it that we are talking about baby bottles? Thanks for the laugh!

Agreed. Even "Muck Fichigan" would be too much for me to put on an infant.

As for gameday, when I was a freshman at tOSU, 4 guys in full Maize and Blue sat next to me in the student section and had no problems- even in the first half when UM went ahead by about 28.

Then I went to Ann Arbor in 97. Wow. Wear scarlet and gray in Ann Arbor on game day, and you learn how to cuss like a UM frat boy and get snowballs thrown at you. On the other hand, no one physically assaulted me when I walked back up those 275 rows after the game while Woodson waved Roses.

Read through a little of this blog today, and I am surprised about the $100 jokes given the Fab Five history. Now if it were Northwestern making fun of both of us...

Ahhh...nothing says "white trash gritter" like dropping the F-Bomb on a baby's onesie. Why don't they just cut to the chase and put Meister Brau in his bottle and get the little tyke started on his first mullett?

Dr. Strangehayes and Bo will be watching this one together. Woody lost it in '69 breaking the down's marker over his leg-- and the way he lost it in the late 70's punching an opposing player will never be forgotten. Bo had his own downfall in the Tiger's front office-- you can't fuck with a broadcasting legend like Ernie Harwell and survive. Oh, and by the way, Buck the Fuckeyes is a lot classier...

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